Master Lorren gives the care of the University’s newest student to a boy named Simmon. Sim asks if Kvothe has a place to stay, which he doesn’t, so Sim takes him to the Mews, the least expensive option. Kvothe gets a bunk there that reminds him somewhat of his Tarbean rooftop, which is comforting. He goes to eat lunch and meets Manet, Wilem (who turns out to be the boy who refused him entry at the Archives), and the noble’s son Sovoy. They discuss their admission fees.

Kvothe makes an apt observation that displays his intelligence and starts his new classmates betting on how long it’ll take him to get into the Arcanum as an E’lir. He tells them he wants to learn about the Chandrian, forgetting that most people deride the topic as the subject of faerie tales.

Kvothe finds his way back into the Archives, but his name is not in the book yet. Ambrose, who works at the desk, singles out Kvothe and refuses to let him in. For reasons unbeknownst to Kvothe, Ambrose’s rude behavior reassures him: “I had been feeling rather out of my element until Ambrose let me know, in his own special way, that there wasn’t much difference between the University and the streets of Tarbean” (247).